Carpet sweeper



Dec. 6, 1960 Filed July 21, 1958 R. G. PLANTHOLT CARPET SWEEPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEY- Dec. 6, 1960 R. G. PLANTHOLf 2,962,740

CARPET SWEEPER Filed July 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNE K Pobe/"f 6. P/anf/zo/i dishshaped stamping.

CARPET SWEEPER Robert G. Plantholt, Drayton Plains, Mich, assignor to Bissell Inc., a corporation of Michigan Filed July 21, 1958, Ser. No. 749,767

10 Claims. (Cl. 15-41) quickly assembled without the aid of screws, bolts or like fastenings and may be readily disassembled should occasion require.

Third, to provide a casing structure having these features in which the joints between the sections and connections therefor are effectively concealed.

Fourth, to provide a structure having these advantages which may be substantially varied in design at relatively small cost.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a carpet sweeper embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view thereof with a portion of the handle and the bumper broken away.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom view.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view on a line corresponding to line 4-4 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 5 is. a perspective view of the bottom and top casing members in separated relation.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partially in section on a line corresponding to line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view partially in section on a line corresponding to broken line 77 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the top casing member with the dustpan closure in open position.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view on a line corresponding to line 9-9 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view on a line corresponding to line 10-10 of Fig. 4.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated comprises a unitary bottom casing member designated generally by the letter A, a unitary top casing member designated generally by the letter B which includes as an assembled unit the dustpan cover or closure as will be described.

The bottom casing member in ludes the bottom wall 1, front wall member 2, rear wall member 3 and end or side wall members 4. These parts are formed as generally The bottom wall has a longitudinal brush opening 5 therein, the portion of the bottom wall at the rear of the brush opening constituting a dustpan 6, the front wall 7 of which is formed of an upturned portion of the bottom, see Fig. 4.

atent The upper edge 8 of this dustpan wall portion 7 is directed downwardly and rearwardly to retain the contents of the dustpan, that is, to prevent creeping thereof over the wall 7. At the front edge of the opening 5 there is an upturned flange 9 to which the combined partition and strut member 10 is secured. This strut member projects above the upper edges of the walls of the bottom casing member.

This combined strut and partition member 10 are desirably curved as is illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the wall 7 and this member 10 are shown in their associated relation to the brush 11. The portion of the bottom wall in front of the brush opening is recessed or cut away at its ends to provide openings 12 for the front floor wheels 13. The transverse members 14 are disposed at the inner sides of these recesses and are connected to the bottom wall, the member 10 and the front wall member 2. These members 14 also constitute support members for the wheel axle 15 which is arranged through openings 16 therein, see Figs. 4 and 6.

These members 14 also serve as struts for the top casing member. The axle is provided with thrust collars 17 disposed on the inner sides of these support members 14, also shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The bowed springs 18 are secured at one end 1? to the support members 14 and their free ends are hooked at 20 to engage the axle imparting yieldable upward thrust to the front end of the casing.

The wheels 13 are desirably provided with a rubber or resilient tire or facing and the brush is provided with coacting driven wheels 21 desirably a resilient tire-like element secured to the body of the brush. The brush is demountably supported by journals 22 carried by the springable supports 23, the supports being provided with downwardly projecting finger pieces 24. This permits ready removal of the brush for cleaning; or replacement, however, that feature is old and therefore is not further described.

The front and rear casing wall members 2 and 3 are provided with outwardly projecting flanges 25 and 26 respectively and the end Walls 4 are provided with outwardly projecting flanges 27. These end flanges merging into the flanges 25 and 26 serve to brace or rigidify these walls and as effective supports for the top casing member B.

The top casing member B comprises the conformed top Wall member 28, front wall member 29 and end wall member 30 desirably formed as a stamping. The dustpan closure 31 forms a part of the top casing member and comprises the top portion 32 and wall portions 33 and rear wall portion 34. This closure member 31 is supported on the U-shaped hinges 35 which are pivoted at 36 on the inner sides of the end wall members of the top casing unit.

The U-shaped springs 37 are connected at one end to the bights of the hinge members and at the other end to the hinge brackets 38, see Fig. 8. The springs act to hold the dustpan closure open as shown in Fig. 8, or closed as is shown in other figures. Such closure supporting means generally considered are old and therefore not described in further detail. When in closed position this dustpan closure member rests upon the adjacent flanges of the bottom casing member.

The top casing member B is detachably secured to the bottom casing member A without the aid of screws, bolts or the like and to this end the front wall member 29 is provided with downwardly projecting slotted tongues 3? which engage the lug-like keepers 40 formed by spaced slots 41 in the flange 25, see Fig. 5. The end wall members 30 of the top casing member are provided with downwardly projecting tongues 42 having holes 43 there .ing as a bumper.

in engageable with the keepers 44 on the end walls of the bottom casing members, see Figs. and 9.

To prevent springing of the end walls of the top and bottomcasing member relative to each other such as might disengage these coupling members, the end walls 30 are provided with downwardly projecting tongues 45 which engage the opposite sides of the bottom casing member walls from that engaged by the tongues 42. Thus arranged it is only necessary to hook the tongues 39 over the keepers 40 and engage the members 42 with the coacting keepers 4-3 by a downward thrust. To release his necessary to spring the members 42 outwardly to disengage them from the keepers 43.

The elastically resilient bumper 46 has an inwardly facing slot 47 therein adapted to receive the outwardly projecting flanges 25, 26 and 27 and serves as a cover for the joint, that is, it conceals the joint as well as serv- It also extends across the brush support members 23 so that the several joint parts are effectively concealed. The dustpan closure closes into this bumper as is illustrated in Fig. 2 and the bumper also serves to seal the joint between the dustpan and the parts with which it engages when in closed position.

The handle 48 is provided with a yoke 49, the arms of which engage the bearing members 50. The bottom casing member has inset portions 51 adapted to receive the rear floor wheels 52. The journals 53 for the rear wheels in effect constitute journals on which the entire casing is pivotally mounted. Downthrust on the handle of the sweeper as the sweeper is thrust forwardly brings the brush into driving engagement with the brush driving .floor wheels 13. As soon as this downthrust is released as commonly results from the rearward pull on the handle the springs 18 thrust the forward end of the casing upwardly relative to the wheels 13 thereby disengaging or breaking the driving engagement of the brush with the wheels 13 and therefore the brush is not rotated on the rearward stroke of the sweeper.

Such reverse rotation sometimes results in a redistribution of material clinging to the brush upon the surface over which the sweeper is translated on the return stroke and this is avoided by the arrangement which drives the brush only on the forward stroke of the sweeper.

.I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptations as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt the invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A carpet sweeper comprising a unitary bottom casing member including a bottom wall and front, rear and end wall members having outturned flanges on their upper edges, the bottom wall having a longitudinally extending brush opening therein, a unitary top casing membercomprising a top wall member and front and end wall members, said top casing member front and end wall members complementing said bottom casing member front and end wall members and being supportedly engaged with said flanges thereof, the flange on the front wall member of the bottom casing member being notched to provide forwardly projecting keepers, the front wall member of the top casing member being provided with depending slotted tongues engageable with said keepers, the end wall members of the bottom and top casing members having springably engaged coacting fastener members disposed adjacent the rear ends of the top end wall members, a dustpan closure hingedly mounted at the rear of the top casing top wall member and when closed supportedly engaging the flanges on the rear and end wall members of the bottom casing member, a springably resilient bumper releasably engageable with said flanges and constituting a guard therefor and a cover for the joint 4 between the top and bottom casing members, and a rotatably mounted brush disposed in said brush opening.

2. A carpet sweeper comprising a unitary bottom casing member including a bottom wall and front, rear and end wall members, the bottom wall having a longitudinally extending brush opening therein, the bottom casing member at the rear of said brush opening constituting a dustpan, a portion of the bottom wall being extended upwardly from the rear edge of the brush opening and constituting the front wall of the dustpan, the bottom member also having an upturned flange at the front edge of said brush opening, a portion of the bottom wall at the front of said brush opening terminating in spaced relation to the end wall members providing wheel recesses opening to said brush opening, an upright longitudinal strut member mounted on said bottom wall flange with its upper edge projecting above said bottom casing member end wall members, transverse support members disposed at the inner sides of said recesses in said bottom wall in supporting engagement with said bottom wall, said longitudinal strut member and said front wall member, a unitary top casing member comprising a top wall member and front and end wall members, said top casing member front and end wall members complementing said bottom casing member front and end wall members and being supportedly engaged therewith and with said longitudinal partition member, a dustpan closure hingedly mounted at the rear of the top casing top wall member, and a rotatably mounted brush disposed in said opening.

3. A carpet sweeper comprising a unitary bottom casing member including a bottom wall and front, rear and end wall members, the bottom wall having a longitudinal- ,ly extending brush opening therein, the bottom casing member at the rear of said brush opening constituting a dustpan, the bottom wall also having a flange at the front edge of said brush opening, a portion of the bottom wall at the front of said brush opening terminating in spaced relation to the end wall members providing wheel recesses opening to said brush opening, an upright longitudinal partition member mounted on said bottom wall flange with its upper edge projecting above said bottom casing member end Wall members, axle support members disposed at the inner sides of said recesses in said bottom wall in supporting engagement with said bottom wall said longitudinal member and said front wall member, said axle support members having axle openings therein, a unitary top casing member comprising a top wall member and front and end wall members, said top casing member front and end wall members complementing said bottom casing member front and end wall members and being supportedly and detachably engaged therewith, a dustpan closure hingedly mounted at the rear of the top casing member top wall member .and when closed supportedly engaging the rear and side wall members of the bottom casing member, a brush disposed in said brush opening in said bottom casing member and rear floor wheels for said casing, front floor wheels disposed in said wheel recesses in said bottom casing member bottom wall, a floating axle for said front floor wheels disposed through said openings in said transverse support members, springs mounted on said axle support members and acting to yieldingly bias the casing upwardly relative to said front floor wheels and position the brush in non-driving relation to said front floor wheels, and a handle mounted on said top casing member in forwardly spaced relation to said rear floor wheels so that downthrust thereon positions the brush into driving engagement withsaid front floor wheels.

4. A carpet sweeper comprising a unitary bottom casing member including a bottom wall and front, rear and end wall members, the bottom wall having a longitudinally extending brush opening therein, the bottom casing member at the rear of said brush opening constituting a dustpan, a portion of the bottom wall at the front of said brush opening terminating in spaced relation to the end wall members providing wheel recesses opening to said brush opening, an upright longitudinal member mounted on said bottom wall at the rear of said brush opening therein, axle support members disposed at the inner sides of said recesses in said bottom wall in supporting engagement with said bottom wall said longitudinal member and said front wall member, said axle support members having axle openings therein, a unitary top casing member comprising a top wall member and front and end wall members, said top casing member front and endwall members complementing said bottom casing member front and end wall members and being supportedly and detachably engaged therewith, a dustpan closure hingedly mounted at the rear of the top casing member top wall member and when closed supportedly engaging the rear and side wall members of the bottom casing member, a brush disposed in said brush opening in said bottom casing member and rear floorwheels for said casing, front floor wheels disposed in said wheel recesses in said bottom casing member bottom wall, a floating axle for said front floor wheels, springs mounted on said casing and acting to yieldingly bias the casing upwardly relative to said front floor wheels and position the brush in non-driving relation to said front floor wheels, and a handle mounted on said top casing member in forwardly spaced relation to said rear floor wheels so that downthrust thereon positions the brush into driving engagement with said front floor wheels.

5. A carpet sweeper comprising a unitary bottom casing member including a bottom wall and front and rear and end wall members having outturned flanges on their upper edges the bottom wall having a longitudinally extending brush opening therein, a unitary top casing member comprising a top wall and front and end wall members complementary to corresponding wall members of the bottom casing member and supportedly engaged with the flanges thereof, the flange on the front wall member of the bottom casing member being notched to define projecting keepers, the front wall member of the top casing member being provided with depending slotted coupling members engageable with said keepers, the end wall members of the bottom casing member being provided with outwardly projecting keepers adjacent the rear ends thereof and with upwardly facing notches at the front of said keepers, the top casing member end wall members having depending coupling members springably engageable with said keepers on said bottom casing member end walls and having depending tongues aligned with said notches and springably engageable with said bottom member end walls, a dustpan closure member hingedly mounted on the rear of the top casing member top wall and when in closed position supportedly engaging the flanges on the rear and end wall members of the bottom casing members, springs supportedly mounted on said top casing member end walls and operatively connected to said dustpan cover and adapted to hold it in both open and closed positions, an elastic bumper member releasably engageable with said flanges and constituting a guard therefor and a cover for the meeting edges of the top and bottom casing members including the dustpan closure member when it is in closed position, and a brush disposed in said brush opening.

6. A carpet sweeper comprising a unitary bottom casing member including a bottom wall and front and rear and end wall members having outturned flanges on their upper edges the bottom wall having a longitudinally extending brush opening therein, a unitary top casing member comprising a top wall member and front and end wall members complementary to corresponding wall members of the bottom casing member and supportedly engaged with the flanges thereof, the corresponding wall members having co-engaging coupling members, a dustpan closure member hingedly mounted on the rear of the casing member top wall and when in closed position supportedly engaging the flanges on the rear and side wall members of the bottom casing members, springs supportedly mounted on said top casing member end walls and operatively connected to said dustpan cover and adapted to hold it in both open and closed positions, an elastic bumper member releasably engageable with said flanges and constituting a guard therefor and a cover for the meeting edges of the top and bottom casing members including the dustpan closure member when it is in closed position, and a brush disposed in said brush opening.

7. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a unitary bottom casing member including bottom wall and front and rear and end wall members having outturned flanges on their upper edges, the bottom wall of the bottom member having a longitudinally extending brush opening therein, a longitudinally disposed strut member disposed atone side edge of said opening and fixedly secured to and projecting upwardly from said bottom wall above the upper edges of the said front, rear and end walls, a top casing member comprising a top member and front and end wall members, the top member being in supported engagement with said strut member and said end and front wall members of the top casing member being in supported engagement with corresponding end and front walls of the bottom casing member when the casing members are in assembled relation, said casing members having coengaging means integral with the side and end wall members thereof, a dustpan closure mounted on said wall member and constituting a part of the top casing member and a rotatably mounted brush disposed in said brush opening.

8. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a unitary bottom casing member including bottom wall and front and rear and end wall members having outturned flanges on their upper edges, the bottom wall of the bottom member having a longitudinally extending brush opening therein, a longitudinally disposed strut member disposed at one side edge of said opening and fixedly secured to and projecting upwardly from said bottom wall above the upper edges of the said front, rear and end walls, a top casing member comprising a top member and front and end wall members, the top member being in supported engagement with said strut member and said end and front wall members of the top casing member being in supported engagement with corresponding end and front walls of the bottom casing member when the casing members are in assembled relation, a dustpan closure mounted on said wall member and constituting a part of the top casing member and a rotatably mounted brush disposed in said brush opening.

9. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing comprising a bottom having a longitudinal extending brush opening therein, a portion of the bottom being extended upwardly from the rear edge of the brush opening and constituting the front wall of a dustpan, the bottom member also having an upturned flange at the front edge of said brush opening, a portion of the bottom wall at the front of said brush opening terminating in spaced relation to the end wall members providing wheel recesses in the bottom opening to said brush opening, axle support members disposed at the inner side of said recesses and having spindle openings therein, said support members being bracingly connected to the bottom, a brush disposed in said brush opening, rear floor wheels journaled on said casing, front floor wheels disposed in said wheel recesses in said bottom wall, a floating axle for said front floor wheels disposed through said openings in said support members, springs mounted on said support members and acting to yieldingly bias the casing upwardly relative to the front floor wheels and position the brush in nondriving relation to the front floor wheels, and a handle mounted on said casing in forwardly spaced relation to the rear floor wheels thereof and so that a downthrust on the handle positions the brush in engagement with the front floor wheels to be driven thereby.

10; In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing comprising a bottom having a longitudinal extending brush opening therein, a portion of the bottom wall at the front of said brush opening terminating in spaced relation to the end wall members providing wheel recesses in the bottom opening to said brush opening, axle support members disposed at the inner side of said recesses, a rotatably supported brush disposed in said brush opening, rear floor wheels journalled on said casing, front floor wheels disposed in said wheel recesses in said bottom wall, a floating axle for said floor wheels supportedly associated with said axle support members, springs engaging said axle and acting to yieldingly bias the casing upwardly relative to the front floor wheels and position the brush in nondriving relation to the front floor wheels, and a handle mounted on said casing in forwardly spaced relation to the rear floor wheels thereof '8 and so that a downthrust on the handle positions the brush in engagement with the front floor wheels to be driven thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ii-in i 

